— In Texas, the United States District Court upheld school discipline against a student who “refused to surrender his cell phone to school personnel prior to taking the PSAT test, and (a student who) refused to surrender his phone to be placed (along with all his other classmates’ phones) in a blue pouch during the pendency of a teacher’s class.” School policy “allows students to carry cell phones in school for safety purposes, (but) they are not to be used during testing. Additionally, teachers are empowered to collect phones so that they do not disrupt class. More importantly, students are instructed that they shall not fail to comply with directives given by school personnel.” The students argued that schools “cannot regulate cell phone usage on its campus” because “the right to possess a cell phone is a sacrosanct right that supersedes all other provisions of the Code or other directives of an instructor.” The court held that “there is no constitutional right to possess a cell phone in class. Furthermore, to temporarily deprive a student of his cell phone during a class or a test and return it to them after the class or test is completed (or even at the conclusion of the school day) is not a constitutional violation.” Therefore the Court found that neither (student) has any legally cognizable claim regarding their respective cell phone scenarios. Brown v. Splendora ISD
— In Kentucky, “the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) is urging all Kentucky school employees, both certified and classified, to share their experiences in a safety and student behavior survey. Following the passage and signing into law of Senate Bill 101, landmark legislation aimed at addressing assaults against educators, the KEA wants every public school teacher and school employee in Kentucky to take part in a new, anonymous School Behavior Support survey, designed to capture real-world data on school safety and student behavior.
— In Minnesota, “Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives voted down GOP school safety legislation (HF 3493) that included additional funding, local options for school districts to create an anonymous threat reporting system, and would let schools suspend students for longer.”
— In Tennessee, “Knox County Schools is prohibiting the use of magnetic strips on classroom doors after a criminal trespassing incident at Hardin Valley campuses earlier this month.” Officials say “individual classrooms have been using magnetic strips to allow students access in and out of classrooms during bathroom breaks.” Going forward, “all district facilities are equipped with automatic door locks and all doors must remain locked during the instructional day.”